Death of the Pep Queen
by CastleQueen16
Summary: Re-uploaded  Richard Rodger's first semester at Stuyvesant High School, NY, where he meets the beautiful Kate Beckett when they stumble across the body of the head cheerleader. Chaos, some fluff and, most of all, murder ensues - Crap summary I know :
1. Monday

Death of the Pep-Queen

"Oh, Richard, it's brilliant!"

"Uh-huh."

"The school seems very impressive don't you think?"

"Uh-huh."

Martha Rodger stopped mid-adoration-reverie and put her hands on her hips, regarding the seventeen-year-old in front of her. "Is that all you are capable of saying this morning, Richard."

"The day is young, Mother," Richard Rodgers replied with a smirk and sipped the disgusting coffee his mother had made and made a mental note to convince his mother to get a better coffee machine. He had a way with words, he was sure to win the argument.

_Well_, Richard thought as he regarded his stubborn-minded mother as she read through her latest script, _eventually._

It was seven thirty on a Monday morning and the first day of the new school year. It would be Richard's junior year and, needless to say, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it. Martha blamed it on the early start.

Richard swallowed the rest of the coffee and shuddered at the foul taste, the lengths he went to when he needed a pick-me-up in the morning was astounding even to him. "I'm going now," he said to his mother and picked up his bag - empty aside for the map of the school he'd received during his orientation two months earlier in late May and a couple of pens - and walked to the door.

"Don't get hit by a bus, don't get smart with any teachers until you know which ones like you and don't piss off anyone until you're sure they won't kill you!" Martha called after her son. "And break a leg!" she called as an afterthought.

Rolling his eyes at his mother's thespian antics, Richard smiled over his shoulder at her before walking out into the street with a sigh of relief.

A few blocks away Lanie Parish waved enthusiastically from the living room window as the familiar red Subaru pulled up in front of the gate and Kate Beckett climbed out of the passenger side, leaning in to say goodbye to her Mom.

"Behave yourself," Johanna Beckett said as her daughter hugged her.

"I always do," Kate replied and Johanna gave her look. "Okay, usually." Another look. "Sometimes." Yet another look. "I'm not going lower than that, Mom."

"Hi, Mrs. Beckett!" Lanie said, appearing at Kate's side and Johanna smiled widely at her daughter's BFF.

"Hi, Lanie," she said and nodded to Kate. "Both of you behave yourselves, got it?"

"Such faith my Mom has in us," Kate said to Lanie, who nodded solemnly.

"Actually, on your own I have all the faith of the world in you when you are apart," Johanna said with a smirk. "It's when you're together that it's a whole other story."

Kate smiled and kissed her Mom's cheek. "Bye, Mom, love you."

The three girls said goodbye and Johanna drove on while Lanie pulled her car slowly out of the garage. "Happy you got your permit?" Kate asked as Lanie turned out of the driveway and headed in the direction opposite of the way Johanna was going.

"I'll be _happier_ when I get a better car," Lanie replied, patting the dashboard of the dented red Subaru she borrowed from her Dad. "I'm saving up…slowly."

"Ten dollars at a time," Kate said with a laugh and Lanie smacked her leg.

"Just for that, I'm not inviting you to my birthday party," said Lanie and Kate pretended to be in agony.

"Oh my God, Lanie Parish has just disinvited me from the party of the century," she said, clutching her heart and grimacing. "I don't know how much heartache I can take on the first day back at school, what will I do with my life _now_?"

Lanie laughed. "It's like the cancellation of _Saved by the Bell _all over again," she said and laughed at her friend's blush and, when Kate opened her mouth to argue, said, "Don't even bother to deny it, Katherine Beckett, I know all."

Kate smiled and said, "Are we picking up Kevin, Javier and Jenny?"

Lanie nodded. "As much as I hate having Kevin and Javi debate whether the Yankees or the Red Socks are better, I haven't seen Jenny since the end of the last semester," she said.

"Red Socks," Kate said. "Every single time," and then she added, "I think they've switched it up so Kevin supports the Yankees and Javier supports the Red Socks."

"Now there's a pair of best friends," said Lanie, "they'll even trade baseball teams even though they hate the team they get."

"For the last time, Parish, I am not trading my heels for your leather jacket!"

"Why _no-ot_?" groaned Lanie.

"Because my heels are a size too big for _you _and your jacket is several inches too short for _me_," Kate replied. "You and Jenny are around the same size, trade with her."

"Grow down, tall person!" said Lanie. "Jenny's stuff is nice but yours is gorgeous and I must have them."

"Save up and I'll take you to the mall," said Kate.

"I can't, I'm saving up for a car, remember?" replied Lanie. "You're tall enough without those heels, just let me put a pair of rolled up socks in each one and I'll be as happy as a clam."

"I can't believe you just said 'happy as a clam'." Kate snickered.

Lanie said nothing as she pulled up at the bus stop where Jenny Duffy-O'Mally, Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito stood. "Jenny, will you please teach Kate the gift of _sharing_," she grumbled as their three friends slid into the car and Jenny smiled.

"Nice to see you, too, Lanie," Jenny said and tapped Kate's shoulder. "Hey, Kate."

"Hey, Jenny," Kate smiled. "Long time no see, how was the Cape?"

"Forget the Cape!" said Lanie and jabbed a finger at Kate. "The Tower over here won't share the gorgeousness that is her clothes."

Javier and Kevin looked at each other as the girls jabbered on - and on and on - and sighed. "I think we got into the wrong car, bro," said Javier and Kevin nodded solemnly.

"Think you might be right."


	2. Stuyvesant High School

Just something I came up with when I was bored one very, _very_, rainy day. The awesome characters that we all know and love are Andrew Marlow's and not mine - I just like to play with them, but I wouldn't say "no" to getting them for my next birthday - and the characters we do not know but will learn to love/hate are mine J

_...Story._

2. Stuyvesant High School

It towered above him like an impending storm, or possibly his doom. He knew his way around, he'd spend the entire walk and some of the summer memorizing the various corridors and classrooms and knew it so well that he could see the entire map layout in the air before him without even glancing at said map.

It looked the same as all of his previous schools had on the first day of the fall semester. Students greeted each other with the traditional hugs and/or high-fives and the usual questions "How was your summer?", "How many parties did you go to?" and "You did what-now?". The grass was cut and the wildflowers that had grown over the previous year had been cut back, a coloured banner hung above the entrance welcoming students back to campus.

Traditional, if he was going to describe the school to his mother later on that evening, then he would use the word "traditional."

Richard spotted the class lists and quickly jogged over to it, waiting for the crowd of students buzzing around it and chatting to loudly to be necessary to thin before searching for his home-room. Mr. Sikes's classroom, H12 on the third floor.

Stopping by the office on the way to get his timetable is the first time Kate and Lanie caught sight of him. "Hmm," Lanie said as she paused in front of the office, her dark eyes zeroing in on a tall, dark figure with a nice ass she hadn't seen before. Which concerned her, as she knew them all. Kate waved a hand in front of her face.

"Houstan, I think we've lost her," Jenny giggled, catching up to them after being walked to her locker by Ryan who was with Esposito in their new home-room. "Seriously, Lanie, who are you staring at?" Jenny followed Kate and Lanie's line of vision towards the tall, dark stranger. "I'm not getting into a cat-fight with you two, I want to live to homecoming," she said. "I'm bowing out, but Kev's mine."

Kate shook her head and smiled at Jenny, before linking arms with both her and Lanie. "Come on," she said and tugged lightly on Lanie's arm to get her moving. "Home-room."

The receptionist had been overly-helpful, but Richard reasoned that she was just doing her job and at least now he knew every single short-cut to get to classrooms. His time-table was sinister, he had Chemistry and Calculus on the same day, and he wondered vaguely if anyone would want to trade with the new kid.

Richard met Mr. Sikes in the corridor, just outside the door to Richard's new home-room. "Mr. Sikes, I'm Rick Rodgers," he said, handing him the slip all his new teachers were supposed to sign. He had had a million first days, but every one was as nerve-wracking as the last, not that he'd ever let anyone know that.

"Nice to meet you, Rick," Mr. Sikes said with a smile. "I hope you have a productive time at Stuy."

"I'm sure I will," Richard said pleasantly, even though he was lying. The H12 classroom was noisy and a few paper planes were flittering in the air above their heads, the tables were in groups and at one table a boy - a brawny Hispanic - snatched a plane from the air and handed it to a tall brunette who aimed it and send it flying in an arch across the room back to its original table.

"Alright, people!" Sikes called and went to go sit atop of his desk and survey his class before waving a hand towards Rick. "This is Rick Rodgers, he's a new student," there was a small patter of hellos and Sikes raised his brows at Rick as though to say, 'That's all you're gonna get', and then added, "I need someone to show him where his classes and his locker are, any volunteers?"

No hands went up. Sikes sighed.

"Alright, I see how this is going to go," he said and his dark brown eyes scanned the classroom, looking for a volunteer - _or victim, Rick thought with a smirk _- and Rick watched Sikes's eyes settle on the tall brunette who had thrown the paper plane in a perfect arch just a minute or so ago. "How about you, Miss Beckett?" he asked and Kate opened her mouth to argue but Sikes cut across her, "'Course you will."

Kate Beckett smirked and asked, "Do you like answering your own questions, Mr. Sikes? 'Course you do."

Rick smiled as the rest of the class laughed, even Sikes cracked a smile. "Show him around, or I'll double your English homework for the semester," Sikes said and then turned to Rick. "I see an empty seat beside Mr Esposito, Rick, you can sit there."

Javier and Kate exchanged a look as Rick came over and asked if he could sit and Javier nodded, Kate just shrugged not thoroughly pleased with the situation. Rick introduced himself before turning to Kate to tell her he could find his way around on his own, but something stopped him. Maybe it was her eyes, a green so bright it shouldn't exist in nature, or her features: whatever it was, it kept him quiet about knowing his way.

_Caskett-Esplanie-Ryan/Jenny-Caskett-Esplanie-Ryan/Jenny-Caskett-Esplanie-Ryan/Jenny-Caskett-Esplanie-_

Kate and Rick came to a fork of corridors on their tour during free period later in the day. "Down that corridor are the biology classrooms," Kate said pointing to the right and then to the right, "Chemistry's that way, I'd avoid the biology corridor at all costs whenever Dr. Phelps has a class."

"Duly noted," Rick said and, instead of listening to her tour he focused on her. She was pretty, much prettier than all the girls he'd met who were all growing out of their ugly duckling phases and what confused him about her was the fact that his attractiveness didn't seem to register with her: if anything, it irritated her. When he had made a slight innuendo Kate had glared at him with such intensity that he was surprised his head hadn't turned green and drop off. In short: Kate Beckett was _so cool_.

"We just have the gym left," Kate said and smirked at him. "Then I'm free of you."

"So charming," said Rick and Kate's smirk turned into an evil smile. "I'm not sure why, but I actually find that look appealing."

Rolling her eyes Kate threw open the gym doors and said, "Why do all boys do that? If they're not staring at me they've got their minds in the…"

"What's the matter, Beckett?" Rick teased lightly, following her line of vision. "Cat got your…?

"oh."

Not really happy with this chapter but I felt if I didn't do something productive I was going to tear my hair out, I hate it being the summer and having nothing to do: and it's raining, double bummer. Queenie.


	3. Penelope Whithall

Caskett and the gang are Andrew Marlow's, not mine…yet ;)

_...Story._

3. Penelope Whithall

"_We just have the gym left," Kate said and smirked at him. "Then I'm free of you."_

"_So charming," said Rick and Kate's smirk turned into an evil smile. "I'm not sure why, but I actually find that look appealing."_

_Rolling her eyes Kate threw open the gym doors and said, "Why do all boys do that? If they're not staring at me they've got their minds in the…"_

"_What's the matter, Beckett?" Rick teased lightly, following her line of vision. "Cat got your…?_

"_oh."_

Just then, Madison Queller - Kate's former best friend - looked up from the body she was kneeling beside and ran towards them, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Kate! You've got to help her! I think she's dead!"

"Who's dead?" Kate asked, staring over Madison's shoulder at the body and Rick noticed that Madison's bloody hands rubbed blood onto Kate's sleeve though Kate either didn't care or didn't notice.

"Penny Whithall!" said Madison, turning to look back at the body.

"The head of that dumb pep committee?" Kate said and Madison looked at Kate, appalled.

"The pep committee is not dumb, Kate!" Madison reprimanded and it took all the strength Kate had not to roll her eyes. "It plays an important part in our school society."

"Yeah, Madison, so do the Mathletes," Kate bit out briefly before shutting her mouth.

Trying to resist the temptation to laugh, Rick caught sight of the scrunched up piece of paper in Madison held in a tight grip in her hand. "What's that you've got, Madison?" he asked and when the blonde gave him a confused look he nodded to her hand.

Madison looked at the scrunched up, bloodied piece of paper. "It was taped to the inside of Penny's locker, I saw it when I opened it to return a shirt she loaned me," Madison replied, unfolding the paper and showing it to them.

_If they find out, you're dead._

Rick and Kate blinked at the note and then Rick's voice filled the silence, "Wow that's chilling: look's like they found out, huh?"

If looks could kill then the one Kate gave Rick would have been enough for him to die a thousand slow, painful deaths and then some.

CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-

Madison was sat on the far side of the gym stands with a paramedic, her head in between her knees. She was the lucky one, she was so dar in shock the medics were considering dosing her just so she would stop hyperventilating.

They had it worse, Rick decided as Detective Roy Montgomery looked up from his notepad and at the teens sceptically. "So, let me see if I've got this right," Montgomery said, looking at Kate. "You were showing Rick here around and that's when you found Miss Queller with the body?"

Kate nodded and Montgomery indicated Kate's blood-stained shirt. "That will have to go with the crime scene techs," he said apologetically to a blushing and irritated-looking Kate, who nodded and followed a female crime scene tech to the girls' changing rooms.

"Why does Kate's shirt have to go with you guys?" Rick asked. "I understand why Madison has to because her shirt and hands are covered, but not Kate."

"Secondary transfer," Montgomery replied. "We have to take every sample of blood, and that includes the blood on your friend's shirt even if it it is only there through Miss Queller." Montgomery shrugged. "So what about you, Rick, did you know the victim?" he asked.

Rick shook his head. "I only just started today, that's why Kate was showing me around - though I think she wishes Mr Sikes hadn't "volunteered" her," he said and Montgomery smiled sympathetically. "But what Kate said was true: she was showing me around and the gym was last and when we came in here we found Madison with Penny."

"What about the note?" Montgomery asked, showing him the note Madison had found in Penny's locker which was now in a plastic baggie marked _evidence_. "Any idea what it means?"

"Haven't a clue," Rick replied. "Maybe Madison knows?" Montgomery shook his head 'no' and Rick regarded the note thoughtfully. "Penny might have been blackmailed," he said after a moment. "I didn't know her at all, but that just seems like the kinda note you get with blackmail."

"We'll consider that, Rick," Montgomery said and stood, shaking Rick's hand in the process. "Just one more question," he said and Rick blinked up at him. "You didn't kill her, did you?"

Rick wasn't sure whether he was supposed to laugh or not so he simple smiled and said, "No, and I'm sure Kate doesn't hate me enough to say that we were apart at any time this morning."

A few minutes later Kate, wearing the blue-and-black striped sweater she kept in her gym locker for emergencies, met Rick outside the gym. "So what did you tell Detective Montgomery?" asked Kate and Rick shrugged.

"Same thing you did," he said and they set off back down the corridor to meet their friends for an emergency assembly in the hall, "except I mentioned that I thought that Penny was being blackmailed."

"You didn't even _know _Penny," Kate said.

"I know, but the whole note in her locker thing just makes me think of the kinds of blackmail in all those old movies my mother makes me watch," Rick said and Kate gave him a side-long glance.

"You and your mom watch old movies?" Kate asked, thinking of the few nights of the week she and her own mother watched _Temptation Lane_. "None of the guys I know do that, don't you do anything with your dad? Baseball or football or something?"

"Well, I haven't got a dad to take me to baseball games and my mother's an actress so I'm more _Damn Yankees! _than real Yankees," Rick replied. "Besides, the movies aren't bad…when they don't have my mother in them."

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and a force like a herd of elephants poughed into Rick and Kate and suddenly Kate was whisked away from Rick and Lanie pressed her firmly against some lockers. "Lanie!" Kate said, as Rick was interrogated by Kevin and Javier and Jenny sauntered over to where her girlfriends stood. "What're you doing?"

"The whole school's talking about it!" Lanie said. "About Penny Whithall!"

"You and Rick found the body?" Jenny asked, concerned for her friend. "Are you okay, Kate?"

"Yeah yeah." Kate nodded quickly. "Better than Madison anyway."

"Wait, that's not the shirt you were wearing this morning," Lanie said. "Where is it?"

"Alright, Rodgers," Javier said in a deadly quiet voice that was laced with threat. "What happened in the gym? 'Cause I'm seeing Beckett in a shirt she wasn't wearing this morning."

"Madison got blood on it so the CSI-guys had to take it for evidence or something," said Rick, playing it too cool for school even though he felt anything but.

"Move along, you kids," said Dr. Phelps - the crummiest Biology teacher to ever walk the earth - jogging down the corridor from his classroom. "To assembly, move it."

Grumbling angrily, Javier and Lanie let up on their respective victims and led the way down the hall - plotting to do some murdering if Dr. Phelps didn't walk away _now_.

CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-

Mr. Johnston's slate grey eyes ran over his young charges before addressing them both sternly and solemnly. "Students," he began, "I regret to inform you that Stuyvesant High School lost one of its own this morning: Penelope Whithall - chair of the pep and homecoming committees - was found dead in the school gym today by a couple of students -" if every pair of eyes in the hall wasn't on Rick and Kate by now, they were now "-and the NYPD have reached the conclusion that it was no accident."

That got a reaction: the shocked gasps and mutterings began and someone, somewhere, was crying. _Who the hell is crying_? Kate wondered as Johnston slammed a fist down on his podium, demanding silence which he got almost immediately. Rick couldn't blame the student body's reaction: when a teenager dies they assume it was an accident or illness or the like, but murder? It didn't register in the mindset of the average teen until it actually happened and affected them directly, which made it all the more tragic.

"This sucks," Kevin whispered under his breath and Jenny put a hand on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze and Rick couldn't help but smile at the scene. They were so innocent.

The entire hall was plunged into icy silence and not even the principal's words stating that they could take a half day if they so wished and that gym classes would be cancelled for the foreseeable future brought back even a whisper. Kate was shocked by it, the severity of the situation hitting every single student hard on the head and stunning them into silence.

In truth, although she was a genuinely miserable person to be in class with, Penny was someone's friend, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's worst nightmare and someone's classmate and, in hindsight, Kate decided that Kevin was right: it sucked.

Deciding she couldn't sit through class that day, Kate grabbed her bag and her jacket eager to get home and tell her Mom, and maybe her Dad, everything. The weather seemed to have adapted to the mood of the day, the clouds were a dark grey and the first few drops before the torrential downpour were making their appearance with an increasing frequency, and she didn't have an umbrella. _Shit_.

There was a flash of red and shelter in the form of a red umbrella appeared above her head and holding onto the silver handle, keeping her sheltered from the rain no matter how wet he got, was Richard Rodgers. "I don't have the energy for class today, and I've got Dr. Phelps for Biology so I think I'd be insane if I didn't skip," he offered her as an explanation and Kate smiled weakly at him as they walked down the steps of the school.

"This has got to be the worst first day of school ever," said Kate and her smile turned apologetic. "Sorry about that."

"Not your fault," Rick replied with a light shrug and a grateful smile. "But thanks."

They kept walking, talking about everything but the events of that day and without even realising how far they had walked, they arrived outside Kate's house. "Thanks," Kate said, a hand resting on the iron gate. "Really, and I'm sorry about what a suckish first day this has been for you."

Rick meerly smiled. "Until tomorrow, Kate."

Kate smiled slightly, her mouth lifted up at the corner. "You can't just say, 'See you tomorrow'?"

"I'm over-dramatic, and 'See you tomorrow' is boring."

"Yeah well, I'm normal," Kate said, truly smiling for the first time since they'd met that morning. "See you tomorrow."

With that, Kate strolled through the Kate and jogged up the driveway towards the awning and shelter from the rain, rapping lightly on one of the front windows and waving weakly to whoever was inside. Rick watched as she and an older, slightly smaller woman embraced - her mother? - and went inside with an arm around each other and he smiled. "See you tomorrow."

_...Story._

How 'bout that for Caskett ;)

I'm not sure why, but when I pictured the last scene in my head I had an "Awww!" moment but I dunno, I'll let you judge *hint hint review hint hint*


	4. An Unlikely Suspect

Dear Andrew Marlow…pretty please - with cherries and apples on top - can I own Castle? I can't? I never will? Knew it. Damn him.

_...Story._

4. An Unlikely Suspect

(_Previously on _Death of the Pep Queen)

"_Thanks," Kate said, a hand resting on the iron gate. "Really, and I'm sorry about what a suckish first day this has been for you."_

_Rick merely smiled. "Until tomorrow, Kate."_

_Kate smiled slightly, her mouth lifted up at the corner. "You can't just say, 'See you tomorrow'?"_

"_I'm over-dramatic, and 'See you tomorrow' is boring."_

"_Yeah well, I'm normal," Kate said, truly smiling for the first time since they'd met that morning. "See you tomorrow."_

_With that, Kate strolled through the gate and jogged up the driveway towards the awning and shelter from the rain, rapping lightly on one of the front windows and waving weakly to whoever was inside. Rick watched as she and an older, slightly smaller woman embraced - her mother? - and went inside with an arm around each other and he smiled. "See you tomorrow."_

Johanna Beckett closed the door and leaned back against it, regarding her daughter with a knowing smile. "So, Katie," she said in a type of mischievous voice that made Kate extremely nervous, "who was that?"

"New kid," Kate said nonchalantly, turning towards the kitchen but her mother wrapped her long arms around her daughter's waist. "Mo-om, let go!" Kate laughed as Johanna dragged her into the living room and the two of them fell back onto the couch.

"Tell all," Johanna demanded, not relenquishing her vice-like grip on Kate's waist. "What's the new boy like? Is he nice-but-not-too-nice? Nerdy? Jock? A Motorcycle Boy?" that one Johanna added with a mischeivous smirk and snicker.

"He's annoying and ego-tistical, Mom, now let me go!"

"Didn't seem that way, seeing as he walked you home," Johanna grinned devillishly and Kate squirmed, under her mother's green-eyed gaze.

"Stop thinking whatever you're thinking!" Kate said quickly. She then went on to explain what had happened: everything from Sike's "volunteering" her to show Rick around to Penny's murder and by the time she had finished, Johanna Beckett was stunned into silence. That's one of the things Kate loved about her Mom, Johanna listened and Kate knew she cared. She more than proved it when she wrapped Kate into a hug on the couch.

"Oh, Katie, I'm sorry," Johanna said, stroking Kate's dark hair. "Was she a friend of yours? I thought I knew all of your friends."

"No, she wasn't a friend, she was in a couple of classes but I never really talked to her," Kate replied. "I kinda feel sorry for Rick, this had to have been the worst first day ever."

"I can't argue with you there," Johanna said and Kate smiled before looking up at her Mom.

"Momma?"

"Yes, Katherine?" Johanna said, eyeing her daughter apprehensively and feeling a serious amount of pleading coming on.

"Can Lanie come over after dinner? And maybe sleep over on a school night, because you love me and I found the body of a classmate today?" Kate batted her eyes at her mother and Johanna rolled her eyes before shutting them tight and sighing in resignation.

"Go see what Marie Parish says," Johanna said and Kate grinned slidding off the couch and dashing into the hallway to call Lanie. Johanna smiled after, remembering the good ol' days when Katie prefered playing with dolls rather than yakking on the phone to Lanie all night long.

_A few blocks away…_

Rick opened the front door and called out, "I'm back!"

Martha appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Perfect, you're just in time for my latest culinary creation!" she said cheerfully and Rick, still smiling after her something-moment with Kate, followed after her into the kitchen with a simple shake of the head.

"Remind me never to feed my own child one of your "culinary creations"," he said and Martha regarded him, hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips.

"Oh, like yours are any better?"

"The s'morelette will catch on, mark my words!" Rick proclaimed and Martha chuckled, as she watched Richard set the table.

"So, how was school, darling?" she asked to which Richard responded with a sigh. "What's the matter? Are they not being nice to you?"

"No no, my teachers are nice and I've met a nice group of friends and I met this one girl but I'll tell you about her in a minute," Rick said, looking at his mother. "Mom, a girl was murdered today."

The smile fell from Martha's face and the two Rodgers sat down facing each other at the dinner table. "What?" Martha asked, shocked and Richard nodded slowly. "What happened?"

Rick explained everything: Kate's tour of the school, finding the body, being interrogated by the police - all of it and, when he had finished, the great Martha Rodgers was stunned into silence. An amazing feat in itself, if only someone didn't have to die to make it happen.

"So, who's this Kate?" Martha said and Richard smacked his head onto the table top.

"My God, mother, out of all that that's all you got?" he asked and Martha shrugged, Richard turned his eyes towards the food still on heat and said, "Mother, the pasta sause is burning."

Martha leapt up out of her chair and tended to the burning food before turning to her son. "This discussion is not over," she told him and Richard gave her a look, muttering something to himself that -to Martha - sounded a lot like, "When is it ever?"

The next morning, Kate had a lot of explaining to do to Lanie when they found Rick waiting outside the gate with two coffees in hand the next morning. Kate realised that the coffee was well needed as neither she nor Lanie got any sleep the night before and, judging by the dark circles under his eyes, Rick didn't either.

The three girls peered out of the window overlooking the yard and two of them (i.e. Johanna and Lanie) giggled like school-girls. "Have fun at school, girls," chuckled Johanna and Kate blushed while Lanie chuckled along with her mother. Jim Beckett had already left an hour or so earlier but not before kissing his wife good morning and making breakfast for his daughter and her friend. Kate loved her dad but she was sometimes grateful that he wasn't around at certain times, she was especially grateful when Lanie said to Johanna, "I know Kate will."

Kate focused a glare on the two of them as they snickered like teenagers. "Why don't you two set up camp in the living room, eat cookie dough ice cream and gossip?" she asked.

"Because that's what _we _do during mother-daughter-time, Katie!" said Johanna, pretending to be shocked then turned to Lanie. "But, Lanie, you're like a second daughter to me, maybe we should hang instead."

"Mrs. Beckett? Did you just say _hang_?" Lanie giggled and Johanna shrugged modestly.

"What can I say, Lanie," Johanna said with a smile, "I'm down with the kids."

Kate rolled her eyes and opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch. "Oh yeah, Mom, you're the bomb." Johanna pouted.

"I let you have a sleepover on a school night so I think you'll find, Katherine Rose, that I _am _the bomb," Johanna said before shouldering her heavy work-bag and giving both girls a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you both after school for tutoring, okay?" she called as she jogged down the path and Rick stepped back away from the gate to let her pass. "Hello, Rick," Johanna smiled at him and he noted the uncanny resemblence between Kate and her mother before responding with a polite smile, he watched her clamber into her car and drive down the street and around the corner.

"What're you doing here?" Kate asked as she and Lanie met him at the gate.

"Walking to school?" it sounded like a question. "I brought you coffee, I figured you might need it - I know I couldn't sleep last night," he said and then turned to Lanie. "Sorry, I didn't get you one, Lanie, I didn't know you'd be here."

"Actually I don't drink coffee," Lanie informed him. "Next time, make it a bear-claw."

Kate accepted her coffee with a small smile of thanks. "I wonder if they've caught the guy yet," Lanie said as the walked along the block.

"It's only been a day, Lanie," Kate pointed out.

"Barely," Rick added and Lanie regarded the two with a raised brow and a mischievous smile that neither Rick nor Kate particularly liked and Rick swallowed nervously.

"Tag-teaming, are we?" Lanie asked and Kate opened her mouth to heatedly deny Lanie's statement but she was cut across when Stuyvesant came into view and Jenny ran towards them with Kevin and Javier in tow.

"Somebody's been arrested!" she said when she was still twenty-feet away and Kate's mouth fell open slightly in shock.

"Already?" she asked, hardly believing it. Murder invesitigations always seem much longer in books and on tv. "Who's been arrested?"

"Madison," said Kevin.

"Madison? Please, that girl can't kill a bug on its back let alone a person!" said Lanie and her friends gave her shocked looks. "What? I'm not _wrong_."

"That being said," Rick said after clearing his throat awkwardly making Kate snicker and Lanie glare, "Did Madison confess or what?"

"No, somebody knew she had done it and turned her in," said Jenny and Kate narrowed her eyes.

"But what's her motive?" asked Kate. "As much as I saw, I though she and Penny were FFs."

"FFs?" the boys asked.

"Frenemies forever," Kate replied.

"BFFs don't exist among the taciturn that is the Stuyvesant Pep-whetevers," Lanie said.

"My sister is one, I can attest," Jenny added, nodding affirmingly.

Javier turned to Rick and Kevin and said, "We need more guy friends."

CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-

The news of Madison's arrest spread throughout the school like wildfire and by lunch there were possible motive theories ranging from Madison stealing Jeffrey Hollis - Penny's boyfriend - which was actually plausible if it had been Penny who killed Madison and then there was the humourous romour that Madison had been hired to take out a hit on Penny.

"Who would hire someone as blonde as Madison?" Lanie said, nearly choking on her mac n' cheese when Rick had told the group the rumour he had heard in his biology class. "Madison Queller couldn't keep a secret for the president."

"It just doesn't make any sense," Kate said, and every turned to look at her. "Madison had no reason to kill Penny, so why do the police act on nothing but a stranger's statement?"

Rick shrugged. "Maybe there is DNA on the body from Madison or she has no alibi? What if the stranger isn't a stranger at all? Maybe it's a trustworthy person who witnessed Penny's murder."

Kate leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her stomach. "I don't believe it," she said to them. "I don't believe Madison Queller killed Penelope Whitehall, and nobody is going to tell me otherwise until there's solid proof."

Everyone looked at Kate and then at each other. Even Rick, who had only known Kate a day, knew that Kate wasn't going to be convinced until Madison had personally signed the confession.

_...Story._

And scene!

Okay, so Madison is the killer…isn't she? Hmm, a question worthy of an answer which you will find….eventually, if you keep reading.

I hope I captured Johanna B. correctly with everything we know about her she seems to have been a lot perkier then her daughter but just as cool and witty so I have incorporated everything I've interperated from Kate's little exerpts about her and my imagination and I _really _like her!


	5. A Dare from Captain Montgomery

Not mine, if it was Castle and Beckett would've done it ages ago – Andrew Marlowe should get on that…like now.

_...Story._

5. A Dare from Detective Montgomery

Roy Montgomery sat back in his desk chair. The 64th Precinct was quiet, Madison Queller was in Interrogation with her mother, a lawyer and a new Detective – Gates, wasn't it? – and the case was as good as closed.

That's what bothered him, it was too easy. True, all the evidence was there: Madison had no alibi for the time of the murder –

_And neither would a lot of people_ he thought - and there was DNA from Madison on Penny - _because she found her!_

Montgomery sat down at his desk and sighed. Something was up, and Montgomery didn't like it. His phone rang. "Montgomery?"

"Roy, some kid is asking for you: it's about the Penny Whitehall case," a desk clerk said.

"What's the kid's name?" Roy asked.

"Kate Beckett."

Downstairs, Kate's eyes flickered towards the desk clerk and away towards the notice board on the far side of the room. What was she _doing _here? _Madison Queller is innocent_! Her mind screamed at her.

"Kate?" she looked up at Detective Montgomery. "What are you doing here, you should be at home."

"Madison Queller is innocent," she told him. Montgomery's eyebrows shot up his forehead.

"Oh really?" he asked challengingly.

"Really," Kate replied and Montgomery saw the resolution in her eyes. _This kid isn't going to give it up_, Montgomery thought and sat down in the chair adjacent to hers with a sigh.

"And why would she not be?" Montgomery asked. "She has no alibi."

"Neither do I, and you seem to think I'm innocent." Kate paused briefly before adding, "Madison doesn't have any reason to kill Penny but if you ask any other member of that _ridiculous _pep squad if any of them had any reason to kill her, you'd be up to necks in suspects."

"Evidence from Madison was found on Penny's body."

"Madison's the one who found her and I got some of Penny's blood on my shirt too!" Kate said hotly and Montgomery gave her a warning look.

"Well, Miss Beckett," he said slowly, "if it wasn't Madison Queller, then who was it?"

Kate faltered. "Was it you?" Montgomery asked.

"No."

"Was it, Miss Duffy-O'Mally?"

"No."

"Miss Parish?"

"No."

"What about Kevin or Javier? Did they do it?"

"The only thing those two could kill is the themselves."

"What about your boy Rick?"

"He's not my boy," Kate replied, flushing scarlet. "And I know _he _didn't do it because he was with me all morning."

"And why can't it be Madison?" asked Montgomery.

"Because it's…it's…" Kate searched for the words, "it's too _easy_, Sir! Can't you do something? C'mon, Detective Montgomery, if _I _feel that something's wrong then I'm not the only one: be a cop and find the _real _killer because Madison Queller is innocent."

Montgomery searched her eyes, a jade green, for a moment before smiling. "Well, I'm glad somebody else thinks so," he told her and he noted her let out a minute sigh of relief. "Unfortunately, the other detectives aren't going to be so easily swayed, especially Straight-As-An-Arrow Detective Iron Gates. So, Kate, you are going have to help your friend by bringing some evidence that'll quash her conviction."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Kate asked and Montgomery simply smiled.

"You're smart, Kate, I can see it in your eyes: you'll figure out a way." With that, he stood and was gone. "Good luck."

CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-CASKETT-ESPLANIE-RYAN/JENNY-

Kate hadn't realised Rick lived so close to her when she quickly climbed the steps up to the painted red front door of his house. She had called him when she had gotten home from the 64th Precinct and asked if she could meet him so she could tell him what Montgomery had said. "Ah, I'm not allowed to go out tonight: my mother's performing late tonight and she's decided I've gotten to that age where I'm _finally _too old to be baby sat."

"Then I'll come there," Kate said determinedly and then faltered, "I mean, if that's okay."

"It's more than okay!" Rick replied happily. "Anything to get away from Calculus."

But now that she stood outside his door, her calculus books in hand to "help him study", she hesitated. She hardly knew this guy, why was she trusting him that could decide whether an innocent girl was sent to jail or not. She didn't know why, and that annoyed her.

Kate knocked on the door and a red-haired woman answered. This had to be Rick's mother - Martha, wasn't it? - there was no debate about where Rick had gotten his looks from (AN: this is based on the fact that Castle supposedly looks like his mother). "Hello, dear," she said with a smile. "You must be Kate, come on in."

Rick stepped out of the kitchen to greet her. "My books are on the table," he said as a greeting, sticking to their plan to be studying for a non-existent calculus test.

"I'll be off now, kids," Martha said and gathered up a white garment bag that had been laid over the back of the sofa. "The theatre is calling!"

Kate laughed lightly and said goodbye. "Your Mom's nice," she said when Martha was gone and Rick shrugged modestly.

"Where d'you think I get my wonderful personality from?"

"What personality?"

"Ouch, but well played, Beckett." They sat down in the living room and Rick turned to her. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Kate told him about he going down to the precinct and her talk with Montgomery. "This is a lot of pressure on you, Kate," Rick told her once she had finished narrating. "I'll help you in whatever way I can."

"I didn't say you could help me," Kate pointed out.

"Yes you were not saying it very loudly," Rick shot back with a grin that made Kate roll her eyes, but she smiled anyway. "If you think you're right, Kate, and that Madison Queller is innocent of murder: then I'll help you, whether you like it or not."

Kate looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm not going to get rid of you anytime soon, am I?" he merely raised his brows at her. "Of course, I'm not."

_...Story._

Done. I won't bore you with me moaning about how much I hate this chapter: I'm not _that _cruel, _merci beaucoup_! I'm thinking the next chapters will be better, and by "thinking" I mean they will be because in one chapter Kate and Rick are going to break out the black clothes and make up…and maybe a wig, too ;) *_hums _Mission Impossible _theme_*


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